Yokai Monsters-trilogy (Japan, 1968-69)

In the mid-60s a "yokai boom" swept across Japan following the successful release of the manga GeGeGe no Kitaro, centered around the spirits from Japanese folklore known as yokai. This prompted film studio Daiei to produce a trilogy of films about these bizarre creatures; Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968), Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare (1968) and Yokai Monsters: Along with Ghosts (1969).

It should be said that these films include a great deal of cheesy special effects but instead of feeling hopelessly outdated they're charming and campy in the right kind of way. The films make extensive use of practical special effects known as tokusatsu. They largely make use of actors in costumes and puppetry. In some scenes, there are even examples of traditional animation. 

If nothing else, these films should garner attention to the fascinating and vastly detailed world of yokai mythology which stretches far, far back in Japanese history. 

Genre: Action/Horror/Mystery.

The Snow Woman (Japan, 1968)

A master sculptor and his apprentice are trapped in a bad snow storm after finding a special tree for carving a statue for the local temple. Finding refuge in an abandoned hut they celebrate their luck in finding the tree but soon they are visited by the Snow Witch who freezes the sculptor to death but takes pity on the apprentice. He must promise to never speak of this or she'll return and kill him.

The story of the snow woman is well known within Japanese mythology, and there are numerous tales where Yuki-onna appears, but The Snow Woman specifically adapts Lafcadio Hearn's version from 1904. It's the same story that's included in Masaki Kobayashi's Kwaidan (1964), but a bit more fleshed out. 

Although some of the horror elements have faded throughout the years since its release, I thought the image of the yellow-eyed snow witch with her piercing stare was genuinely creepy. The film has a theatre stage quality to it, and that becomes one of its true strengths with how beautiful the set design is throughout.    

If you want a deeper dive into the story of the Yuki-onna (Snow Woman), look no further, the scenes of the film are literally pages from Japanese folklore coming to life.

Genre: Horror/Romance. 1h 20min.

Hiruko the Goblin (Japan, 1991)

A school was built on one of the Gates of Hell, behind which hordes of demons await the moment they will be free to roam the Earth. Hiruko is a goblin sent to Earth on a reconnaissance mission. He beheads students in order to assemble their heads on the demons' spider-like bodies. Hieda, an archaeology professor, and Masao, a haunted student, investigate the gory deaths.

Hiruko the Goblin feels like a very ambitious film for director Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man), with a much larger scope for the story than his usually more character focused movies like Bullet Ballet (1998) or A Snake of June (2002). With Hiruko the Goblin he basically makes an alien invasion film with a yokai skin and pits two unlikely heroes against the demons of hell. 

It's a fun, creepy horror adventure where Tsukamoto wears his influences on his sleeves, both David Cronenberg and The Thing (1982) can be dimly seen behind the scenery. A cool film for fans of Tsukamoto and Japanese monster films, although a hard sell for all the arachnophobes out there!

Genre: Comedy/Fantasy/Horror. 1h 29min.

Belle (Japan, 2021)

Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. But when she enters "U", a massive virtual world, she escapes into her online persona as Belle, a gorgeous and globally-beloved singer. One day, her concert is interrupted by a monstrous creature chased by vigilantes. As their hunt escalates, Suzu embarks on an emotional and epic quest to uncover the identity of this mysterious "beast" and to discover her true self in a world where you can be anyone.

Belle is the latest adventure from acclaimed director Mamoru Hosoda (Summer Wars, Wolf Children) and it gives a modern twist to the Beauty and the Beast tale. The visuals are, as you'd expect, absolutely stunning and the world of U is exhilarating to behold. It's an interesting idea to adapt a story we all know and view it from inside a virtual reality, which resonates with modern viewers who know what it's like to have an online persona. 

Accompanied by some beautiful pieces of music, Belle delivers a classic adventure in a high-tech skin and is certain to draw you in to its fascinating and sometimes all to relatable world of online horrors.

Genre: Animated/Drama. 2h.

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (Japan, 2020)

A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.

Fact: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is an absolute happy pill. After learning he can talk to his future self, Kato is drawn into a hilarious time-loop which his friends are no late to abuse and have some fun with, while at the same time of course putting themselves in a big mess. All shot in one take, the formula really reminds me of One Shot Of the Dead (2017) with its meta-humor. Clocking in at just over an hour, Beyond is a fresh thinking and light-hearted mini adventure.

Genre: Comedy/Sci-Fi. 1h 10min.

The Inugami Family (Japan, 1976)

When a tycoon passes away, he unexpectedly leaves the family fortune to outsider Tamayo on the condition that she marries one of the grandsons, pitting blood against blood.

Directed by Kon Ichikawa, The Inugami Family shows the greed and deceit inside an old and wealthy family. During an inheritance dispute people suddenly starts to die, and a bizarre murder case takes the center stage while family members circle like vultures around the old man's money. It's both dark and quirky, a balance which Ichikawa manages perfectly. 

Genre: Drama/Mystery. 2h 26min.

Sound of the Mountain (Japan, 1954)

An ingratiating bride develops warm ties to her father-in-law while her cold husband blithely slights her for another woman.

In the same year that saw the release of Godzilla, the exact same cinematography crew from that film helped Mikio Naruse on Sound of the Mountain. Naruse, a major figure in Japans 'golden age of cinema' portrayed women in a much more central role and nuanced light than his contemporaries and is one of the first directors who challenged the gender norms of Japanese society in a time when barely anyone would have called themselves a feminist.

Sound of the Mountain is a strong character-driven story with Setsuko Hara in the lead, following her navigating through family ethics and seeing how fragile the bonds of relationships can be. 

Genre: Drama. 1h 35min.

Under the Open Sky (Japan, 2020)

A middle-aged former yakuza, Mikami, is released from prison after thirteen years where he was placed for murder. He is struggling to adapt to society and freedom, find a job and communicate normally, but he is also preoccupied by the quest for his mother from whom he was separated as a child. He finds allies in his search for his parent and a place in mainstream society, but the process is not seamless or smooth.

Directed by Miwa Nishikawa (Sway, The Long Excuse), Under the Open Sky looks at the life of a yakuza who's trying to re-enter society but finds himself ostracized and alone in a Japan that almost has left his mob syndicate to history. It's an interesting take on the yakuza genre, showing that when fighting the system you're bound to loose. Mikami is played by Koji Yakusho who gives the character great depth and makes you wish he finds his place somewhere in his new existence, even though Japanese society has deemed his chance already spent. 

Genre: Crime/Drama. 2h 6min.

The Medium (Thailand, 2021)

A horrifying story of a shaman's inheritance in the Isan region of Thailand. What could be possessing a family member might not be the Goddess they make it out to be.

The Medium will immediately grab any horror fans attention just by the names behind the film. Director Bangjong Pisanthanakun gave us the spooky Shutter (2004), and South Korean screen-writer Na Hong-jin made a huge splash in the industry with his fantastic The Wailing (2016). The Medium digs into possessions and has a documentary team follow a small village shaman in the midst of strange and disturbing events. 

While you'd be correct to expect nothing else than a milestone in Thai horror, given the credentials of the people involved, The Medium doesn't reach heights it should. The main possession that we're following feels like it could be a sub-story in the previously mentioned The Wailing which was much deeper. I thought the documentary hand-held camera style was unnecessary and when people start to die there's really no justification for trying to keep filming the action. That aside, the director captures some great amount of atmosphere and the setting of rural Thailand looks to be perfect for a story of this kind. 

I've read some people got terrified of this film, and while that's very far from my own experience, it's still worth a look if you want to see the latest in Thai horror. 

Genre: Horror. 2h 10min.

Blue (Japan, 2021)

Nobuto is a boxer who is not going to be a champion anytime soon. He works hard, trains, attends consistently and yet ends up amassing losses. In the same gym and training with Nobuto is Kazuki. The latter man looks destined for success. Moreover, he is engaged to Chika who was crushed on by Nobuto when they were children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film centered around a couple of friends going through tough times together and seeing  their relationship twist and turn. A slight love triangle develops but remarkably doesn't make the film into some romantic sap-fest. It's just there and we're invested in the characters, played by actors who've become big stars in recent years. Ken'ichi Matsuyama (Norwegian Wood, Death Note) was a highlight for me as a likeable but interestingly flawed character in that he's lifted up as an authority figure in the gym but in reality he's quite timid and leaves a lot to be wished for in the boxing department. 

A film that doesn't try to overdo it with hidden meanings and life lessons, but portrays 3-4 characters small personal journeys. 

Genre: Drama/Sport. 1h 47min.

Our Love Story (South Korea, 2016)

Yoon-ju is a graduate student of fine arts and is working on her graduation exhibition. One day, while she is searching materials for her project, she runs into Ji-soo at a junk shop. Watching Ji-soo in an odd place, Yoon-ju finds herself drawn to her. After their initial encounter, Yoon-ju once again runs into Ji-soo at a convenience store, and the two eventually start dating. Never having enjoyed dating men, Yoon-ju finds Ji-soo fascinating and becomes completely infatuated with her.

Our Love Story portrays the journey of a relationship between two women and all the little bumps in the road that every love story has. It's very intimate, and the film feels like a window in which the viewer peeps into, watching private moments. I love that the film doesn't go near melodrama-territory, keeping it more real and grounded. 

Contrasting this show of great film making and understanding of the imperfection of a relationship is the fact that director Hyun-ju Lee retired from the business in the wake of being guilty of sexual assault against another woman. She was stripped of her awards and received a two-year jail sentence. 

Genre: Drama/Romance. 1h 39min.

Second Life (South Korea, 2018)

Seon-hee, a high school girl, starts a small lie to attract attention from her friends. But when the truth gets out, her friends start to leave her out and avoid her. To get back at Jeong-mi, who had been her closest friend, Seon-hee sets her up as a ring thief. Suffering greatly from rumors after the incident, Jeong-mi ends up committing suicide. Seon-hee flees Seoul from the shock of witnessing Jeong-mi's death to the countryside where no one can find her.

Second Life addresses bullying and exclusion among young students, and what a lonely young girl is willing to do to be a part of a group. It's a relative short film, but manages to tell the complete story of the devastating consequences of lies. The direction is respectful of the themes and characters of the film, never trying to bash you in the head with a melodramatic message. The young lead actress is great and makes it easy to sympathize with, even when making desperate decisions. 

Genre: Drama. 1h 11min.

Taipei Suicide Story (Taiwan, 2020)

A receptionist at a suicide hotel in Taipei, Taiwan forms a fleeting friendship over the course of one night with a guest who can't decide if she wants to live or die.

For its short running time, Taipei Suicide Story ambitiously tackles some difficult subjects. What makes it work is that it doesn't overdo it, but focuses more on the personal emotional depth of only two characters. In an environment where dozens of people take the most extreme action to end their pain, a young woman is hesitating. Slowly we're getting to know her more and more, but also knowing in the back of our head that the end of the night could spell the end of that friendship. 

A melancholic exercise in figuring out someone on the edge, but not without its subtle tenderness. 

Genre: Drama/Short. 45min.

Isao Takahata and His Tale of Princess Kaguya (Japan, 2014)

A documentary about the making of The Tale of Princess Kaguya, Isao Takahata's first feature film for 14 years.

This film is a treasure trove for fans of Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and his masterpiece The Tale of Princess Kaguya. Very similar to another Ghibli documentary; The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness (2013) in how we get to closely follow the production and inner thoughts of the creators while struggling to get the movie done. Takahata is candid and open to talk about pretty much everything concerning the film, and it's a privilege to walk through the doors of his animation studio. He speaks up about things he regretted doing in earlier films, and describes how the most non-exciting movements are the hardest to animate. 

One scene shows Takahata driving over to Hayao Miyazaki who's in the middle of making The Wind Rises (2013) and just happen to walk in when he's trying to figure out how fast he should portray the spinning of a vinyl record. Small moments like that makes the film really feel personal and while the production eventually starts to feel like a battle for Takahata, it becomes clear that he put his soul into this film he knew would be his last.

Genre: Documentary. 1h 25min.

Unforgiven (Japan, 2013)

Set in the late 1800s, after the fall of Shogunate, onetime assassin Jubee Kamata lives in seclusion on a small farm. But when the new government begins harassing the local populace, Jubee is forced to break the promise he made to his dead wife and take up the sword once more.

I came in to Unforgiven with a negative mindset, because the word 'remake' rarely means anything good these days. I was proven wrong. In the same way Kurosawa's Yojimbo got an American remake with A Fistful of Dollars (1964), director Sang-il Lee (Villain, Rage) decided to adapt Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992) with a Japanese cast. I rarely see the point with remakes, but I can recognize good cinema when I see it. Lee's version is made with the utmost care and attention for authenticity, and thankfully far from being a cheap cash-in riding on a big name like Clint Eastwood.

Ken Watanabe plays a compelling character, who as a seasoned old veteran, must again pick up his weapons and do battle against an abusing regime. In the fact that the film is set in the Meiji period you kind of get the best of both worlds; a western and a samurai film. The action is dealt out in small amounts but instead of being the one thing you wait for like in other action movies, here it's more like extra delicious seasoning to an already fantastic stew. Accompanying the film's journey are some beautiful landscapes, and I'm totally fine with having the setting changed from your ordinary western scenery to the both snowy and lush hills of cold Hokkaido.

Unforgiven is great on its on terms, and even though Eastwood's film is the blueprint, Sang-il Lee had the ability to approach it from his own personal viewpoint and adjust it after a different culture.

Genre: Action/Crime/Drama. 2h 15min.